Confirming first impressions in the employment interview: A field study of interviewer behavior.

Examined behavioral styles used by interviewers to confirm their 1st impressions of job applicants. Three interviewers in a corporate setting formed 1st impressions based on application blank and test score information. They then conducted audiotaped interviews. Coders independently coded 79 interviews and found that 1st impressions were related to confirmatory behavior. Interviewers followed up positive 1st impressions, for example, by showing positive regard toward applicants, "selling" the company and giving job information, and gathering less information. Applicants' communication style and rapport with interviewers also differed. Significant differences in confirmatory behaviors also occurred among the 3 interviewers. A number of interviewer behaviors, especially positive regard, were related to applicant behavior in interviews. Although previous studies of expectancy confirmation have produced mixed results, the present results suggest that interviewers in natural settings do use confirmatory strategies, underscoring the importance of additional research on "self-fulfilling prophecies." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The effect of fish oil on blood pressure and high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol levels in phase I of the Trials of Hypertension Prevention. Trials of Hypertension Prevention Collaborative Research Group

OBJECTIVE: To study the effects of moderate doses of fish oil on blood pressure and high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol. METHODS: The participants were 350 normotensive men and women aged 30-54 years who were enrolled from seven academic medical centers in phase I of the Trials of Hypertension Prevention. They were randomly assigned to receive placebo or 6 g purified fish oil once a day, which supplied 3 g n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids for 6 months. RESULTS: Baseline blood pressure was (mean +/- SD) 123 +/- 9/81 +/- 5 mmHg. The mean differences in the blood pressure changes between the fish oil and placebo groups were not statistically significant. There was no tendency for fish oil to reduce blood pressure more in subjects with baseline blood pressures in the upper versus the lower quartile (132/87 versus 114/75 mmHg), low habitual fish consumption (0.4 versus 2.9 times a week) or low baseline plasma levels of n-3 fatty acids. Fish oil increased HDL2-cholesterol significantly compared with the placebo group. Subgroup analysis showed this effect to be significant in the women but not in the men. Increases in serum phospholipid n-3 fatty acids were significantly correlated with increases in HDL2-cholesterol and decreases in systolic blood pressure. CONCLUSION: Moderate amounts of fish oil (6 g/day) are unlikely to lower blood pressure in normotensive persons, but may increase HDL2-cholesterol, particularly in women.     

Aliphatic and alicyclic diols induce melanogenesis in cultured cells and guinea pig skin

The forces and moments in the shaft of a distal femoral replacement were measured by telemetry for a subject during different activities, and calculations were then made of the forces at the knee. The axial force showed a small peak at heel-strike followed by two main peaks during stance. In level walking, the peak axial force was between 1,487 and 1,718 N (2.2-2.5 BW), the peak shear force was 269-368 N (0.4-0.54 BW) directed anteriorly on the tibia, the peak axial torque was 7 Nm internal, while the patellofemoral force was 466-571 N. The highest axial force was recorded for descending stairs (2.8 BW). Standing on one leg produced 2.4 BW, while lying supine and raising the leg produced 1.7 BW. The data produced may resemble that of a normal subject, and has application to basic joint mechanics, to joint reconstruction, and to total knee replacement design and evaluation.     

Use of a green fluorescent protein as a marker for human immunodeficiency virus type 1 infection

We constructed a recombinant human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) provirus called R7-GFP that expresses a modified form of a green fluorescent protein (GFP) from the jellyfish Aequorea victoria by substituting GFP-coding sequences for Nef-coding sequences. Alanine was substituted for serine at amino acid position 65 in the modified GFP, resulting in markedly increased fluorescence at an excitation wavelength of 488 nm as compared to wild-type GFP. The replication kinetics of R7-GFP were identical to that measured with an isogenic, nef-negative strain lacking GFP. Expression of GFP by replication-competent HIV-1 allowed simultaneous quantitation of viral infection and cell surface CD4 levels, revealing rapid and nearly complete CD4 downregulation on R7-GFP-infected PBMCs.     

Reliability and validity of depressive personality disorder

OBJECTIVE: Depressive personality disorder was introduced into DSM-IV's appendix amid controversy. While that disorder appears to be a reliable and valid one, the authors offer new data about its relationship to major depression, dysthymic disorder, and other personality disorders. METHOD: The authors assessed 54 subjects with early-onset, long-standing mild depressive features for depressive personality disorder, axis I and axis II disorders, family history, and treatment history; they conducted follow-up interviews 1 year after the baseline assessment. Subjects with (N=30) and without (N=24) depressive personality disorder were characterized and compared in terms of those variables. RESULTS: Although depressive personality disorder and dysthymia co-occurred in some subjects, 63% of subjects with depressive personality disorder did not have dysthymia, and 60% did not have current major depression. Although subjects with depressive personality disorder were more likely than the mood disorder comparison group to have another personality disorder, 40% had no such disorder. Contrary to study hypotheses, mood disorder was not more common in first-degree relatives of subjects with depressive personality disorder than in relatives of the comparison group. Subjects with and without depressive personality disorder had similar rates of past treatment with medication and psychotherapy; however, the duration of psychotherapy was significantly longer for subjects with than for those without depressive personality. The depressive personality diagnosis was relatively stable over the 1-year follow-up period. CONCLUSIONS: Depressive personality disorder appears to be a relatively stable condition with incomplete overlap with axis I mood disorders and personality disorders. Further studies are needed to better characterize its treatment response and relationship to axis I mood disorders.     

Laparoscopy in the treatment of intussusception in children

PURPOSE: The technique and outcome of minimally invasive laparoscopic treatment of various forms of intussusception in children after ineffective attempt at conservative treatment are described. METHODS: Ninety-eight patients from 2 months to 11 years of age were analyzed. RESULTS: Suggested scheme of surgical treatment using laparoscopic technique was successful in 64 patients (65.3%), and conversion to open procedure occurred in 34 (34.7%). There was no mortality or intraoperative complications in our series. CONCLUSION: Practically every form of intussusception without bowel necrosis, including the most complex forms, can be reduced now using modern videolaparoscopic equipment and atraumatic instruments.     

Sudden unexpected death resulting from an anomalous hypoplastic left coronary artery

We present a case of sudden death in a 24-year-old, healthy white female who was physically active and participated in sports, including soccer. Two weeks prior to her death, an insurance physical examination revealed an abnormal electrocardiogram which demonstrated flipped T waves in the anterior leads. There was no other remarkable medical history. At autopsy, only one coronary ostium was demonstrated and it originated from the right aortic sinus. Approximately 0.8 cm from this right coronary artery (RCA) ostium, a left coronary artery (LCA) branched off the RCA at a 90-degree angle. The LCA had luminal diameter of 0.4 m but the LCA had a luminal diameter of only 0.1 cm. The LCA coursed anterior to the base of the pulmonary artery and down the anterior ventricular septum reflecting the usual course of the left anterior descending (LAD) coronary artery. The LCA and RCA paths appeared to merge or terminate at the anterior left ventricular myocardium which was discolored gray, a process that involved the inner and middle thirds of the myocardium. Based on the autopsy findings, we certified the cause of death as a probable arrhythmia due to myocardial fibrosis and dystrophic calcification resulting from complications of an anomalous hypoplastic left coronary artery. Anomalies of coronary arteries have been classified and studied at autopsy and by clinical angiography. Coronary artery anomalies can be divided into minor and major forms with major anomalies often resulting in cardiac dysfunction that may cause failure and death. Minor anomalies, in general, have no pathophysiological significance and are compatible with life. Minor anomalies include variations in number and location of coronary ostia. A single coronary ostia is exceedingly rare in hearts with no other congenital malformations. The prognostic significance can be unpredictable. A single coronary artery has the potential to be dangerous if obstructed at its main stem, or if it branches at an acute angle. Additionally, hypoplasia of one or more coronary arteries has been found to be associated with sudden death.